Press Releases

Jan052016

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) released the following statement in response to President Obama’s executive actions that would restrict law-abiding Iowans' Second Amendment rights:

“I am opposed to President Obama’s overreaching and unilateral actions; the American people should have a voice in this process instead of the President's top-down approach that sidesteps Congress and the people we were elected to represent.

“There are laws currently in place to prevent firearms from getting into the wrong hands and we must ensure that they are being enforced. In addition, we must continue to focus on improving access to mental health services.

“However, executive actions to restrict law-abiding citizens' rights are simply not the answer. President Obama's attempt to mandate these Second Amendment restrictions have fallen flat in Congress previously. Any further discussion about how best to respond to recent tragedies involving firearms should happen in Congress, where the American people have a voice through their representatives.

“I remain committed to working to counter the President’s overreaching actions, and protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding Iowans.”